


The First Knight's Struggle

by terapid



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Darth Vader - Freeform, Drug Use, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Knights of Ren - Freeform, Kylo Ren Angst, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Reylo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-17 23:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7289509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terapid/pseuds/terapid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a word prompt challenge for a FB group I'm in. The word was "Enchant." This is my take. </p>
<p>The Force brings Rey into Kylo's quarters on a regular basis. This time, the Jedi takes a closer look at Kylo Ren's mask and realizes that he is being drugged. If that's the case and the mask stays off long enough, what happens to Kylo Ren? Will he remain the monster the galaxy fears? Or is Ben Solo hiding in there, somewhere?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Knight's Struggle

Rey sat with her legs crossed and her eyes closed. She breathed in deeply, calming herself after a strenuous afternoon of training. She held the air in her lungs for a few heartbeats, before exhaling slowly. The rhythm Rey fell into eased her questions, relaxed her sore shoulders and emptied her mind.

After a few minutes, the sounds of waves cresting over the rocks faded away. The cool breeze that danced along her tresses softened until she no longer felt them caressing her cheeks. The young Jedi was in harmony with the Force.

An image of Luke's island appeared in Rey's mind. She could see herself sitting, with her Master not far from her. The peaceful scenery around them slowly disappeared, opening up to thousands of stars. Rey floated through space, leaving Ahch-To far behind.

The Force was guiding her across the galaxy and she never questioned where it sent her; even when it brought Rey to _him_.

As the mere thought of Kylo Ren teased Rey's mind, she opened her eyes to find herself on _the Finalizer_.

"Not this again," Rey whispered, too familiar with the cold, dark quarters of her nemesis. It was the same scene, every time that the Force brought her this vision. It started with Kylo Ren, unmasked and brooding in the corner of his room. He would stand there and say nothing to her; refusing to acknowledge Rey's existence.

It was beyond frustrating. It was like the Force was trying to show her something, but there was barely anything to see. The only bizarre thing that happened in the vision, was that another Kylo Ren would come marching into the room.

On cue, the doors to the chamber opened and a masked Kylo Ren came stalking in.

"Every time," Rey said flatly, as the masked Kylo Ren knelt by the altar in the center of the entryway.

The First Knight concentrated intently on the twisted, molten lump that was once Darth Vader's helmet. She already knew how the rest would play out. He would keep his mask on and start talking to himself. No matter what Rey did, she couldn't get either version of Kylo Ren to open up and communicate with her.

These visions appeared pointless, so the young Jedi usually didn't stick around to take it all in. She had been here at least a dozen times, listening to the masked Kylo Ren call out desperately for his grandfather. A man that Rey knew to be redeemed and long since passed.

_One Kylo Ren is really quite enough_ , Rey thought waving a hand in front of the maskless one.

"Okay...let's try something else this time," Rey offered, looking up at the stoic Knight.

"Are you...Ben?" she asked softly. The man blinked and swallowed hard, something he had never done before. His lips parted and he inhaled shakily.

"Ah, so you _are_ Ben Solo. You don't answer to Kylo Ren," Rey said, her eyes lighting up. "But he does," she continued, looking over her shoulder.

The masked Kylo Ren started talking, pleading with his grandfather to answer him. Rey glared at Kylo, trying to understand what this all could mean. Kylo Ren did everything to remove himself from Ben Solo's identity. She wondered if the Force was trying to show her that Ben Solo was still in there, somewhere.

Ben sighed, claiming Rey's attention again.

"Why do you keep showing me this?" Rey asked. He never answered her before and she hoped it would be different this time.

"Do you see?" Ben answered cryptically, narrowing his gaze onto his kneeling self.

"Yes, I've seen this play out before. Many versions of it," Rey replied, flicking her eyes up to meet his. "Look at me, Ben. All you ever do is speak to a ruddy, melted helmet."

"So, you already know," Ben said, with a pause, "what happens next." He faded away, as Rey looked bewildered at the statement.

"No, no," Rey said frantically, reaching for the man that wasn't there. "Why do you keep showing me this?" She called out, turning and flailing her arms. "What am I missing?"

Finally, Rey turned to watch Kylo Ren. It was usually about this time that she left the vision, getting tired of being ignored. But now, the Jedi moved much closer to the crouched man.

"I've found no peace...in _his_ death. The Supreme Leader senses it," Kylo admitted, talking to the twisted heap of metal on the altar. "He accuses, that my pull to the Light is too great."

"Kylo," Rey said, boldly kneeling by him. She'd normally never leave herself vulnerable, but she didn't sense hostility from him. Rey wondered if the dark warrior was crazy or not, spending so much time talking to himself. Her hand came near his shoulder, just in case she was wrong and he decided to strike.

As usual, the dark warrior didn't answer her. He didn't respond to her touching him. And after a moment, Rey sighed. She considered leaving, until he said something that caught her attention.

"He knows I have compassion...for the girl," Kylo said, sounding desperate. "Please grandfather, I need your guidance more than ever."

Rey's eyes went wide and she stared intently at Kylo Ren's mask. She hated the awful thing but the young Jedi couldn't pry her eyes from it. There was a slight hiss from the mask and for a moment, Rey thought that he might be trying to remove it. Kylo's hands stayed clenched at his sides, as a small purple mist slipped out of his vocoder.

If Rey blinked, she would have missed it. The gas particles faded that quickly.

"Grandfather," Kylo repeated, breathing the gas in heavily. The Dark Knight dropped one fist next to his knee and started coughing.

"Kylo Ren," a deep voice rang out above the chamber. "Breathe. Let the Force fill your lungs."

_The Force?_ Rey thought, looking up into the center of the room. There was a round feature, where the Jedi swore the sound was coming from. The vocals were distorted and Rey was positive that someone was using a series of speakers in order to communicate with Kylo Ren.

"Reunited again," the loud voice said, echoing into the chamber. "Tell me, how have you displeased your master?"

Rey's eyes fell from the ceiling and rested on Kylo Ren. She watched him closely and could sense that something was happening to the First Knight. His body twitched and reacted poorly to the gas. The Bond they shared felt wobbly and unstable. The inhalant made Rey dizzy too and she had to shake the sensation away

" _Maker_ , Kylo, you're being drugged," Rey said, tempted to grab his arm and shake it. "Is this why they make you wear the mask all the time?"

She inched closer to the mask, inspecting it further.

The young Jedi was sure of it now. This strange feeling that was washing over Kylo Ren had bled through the Bond. She hadn't allowed herself to get this close to him before. Rey was always guarded and she never stayed in the vision this long to really observe Kylo Ren.

"Breathe, Kylo Ren," the voice commanded.

"Kylo, don't listen to him," Rey said, feeling her heartbeat racing now. This was what Ben Solo wanted to show her; what the Force was trying to show her about the mask and the way Kylo's quarters were set up.

"Grandfather," Kylo repeated, clearly strained.

"Yes," the voice replied from above, sounding like it was coming from all different directions.

Rey's lower jaw dropped open, as she wasn't entirely sure what to do. Her sparkling eyes gave him the once over. Was there anything that could be done to stop this? Did she even want to intervene?

Yes, she did. She would.

"I need your guidance," Kylo said, bowing his head. "The Supreme Leader has tasked me with the recovery of the girl. I fear what will happen once he has her."

"So find the scavenger. Capture her," the voice replied dryly. "Broken if need be."

Kylo shook his head, disagreeing with that part. Although Rey couldn't see his face, she knew his features were strained. She could feel the muscles in his face tensing.

"It doesn't need to be like this. I've tried to convince the Supreme Leader. If Rey...if Rey could be turned, she would be a powerful ally."

Another hiss erupted from Kylo's mask and Rey caught the hint of purple mist escaping his vocoder again. Without uttering another word, Kylo reached up and removed a vial from the side of his mask. Rey hadn't noticed the concealed cylinder before.

He set the empty vial on the floor and reached for his belt. The dark warrior extracted another vial and Rey could see that he had several lined up vertically in a pouch.

Kylo placed the fresh vial in his mask, like it was muscle memory; setting it at the correct angle on the first try. Rey got the feeling that he carried out this task mechanically; without any thought or question as to why his mask needed these.

Rey was familiar with all sorts of masks from her former life as a scavenger. Why should Kylo's be so different? The engineering behind it made little sense to her.

Then, the young Jedi was hit with a terrible thought. What if the First Knight was programmed to carry out this mindless chore, like a droid...or worse, like an addict.

"Forgive me," Kylo Ren said evenly, after adjusting his robes. "It is not my place to question the will of the Force."

"Kylo… how often do they drug you like this?" she asked, deeply concerned.

As if under a spell, the First Knight leaned forward and started repeating a mantra:

"The Jedi are evil and threaten the balance.

The Sith are a nuisance and must be silenced.

Through balance, there is order.

From order, there is peace.

The Force is all things and I am the Force."

His words sounded stiff and rehearsed. They were similar to the Jedi and Sith codes that she had read in Master Skywalker's texts. Only the message was entirely different from either code. Rey wondered if this was the mantra for the Knights of Ren. It had to be. It explained so much.

"Everything I've done, has brought balance to the Force," Kylo offered. "Is there no place for her alongside the Knights of Ren?"

Another hiss came from Kylo's mask and Rey couldn't take it anymore. She reached for the edges of his mask, trying to find the releases.

"They seek to pull you towards the Light," the dark voice continued. "Do not let your feelings for this girl, stand in your way."

Kylo wheezed, as Rey finally managed to trigger the release and pull the mask off. The Jedi held the bulky helmet for a moment, noticing the purple fumes that were wafting from the inner vents. Rey chucked it across the room, getting the mask far away from them. She turned back to find Kylo's dilated pupils and confused face looking up at her.

"Restore your mask, Kylo Ren," the voice above demanded.

Kylo remained kneeling, staring up at Rey. The Knights looked at each other, ignoring the commands that continued to bark throughout the room.

The dark warrior gave her a lazy smile, almost sweet and good natured. Rey raised an eyebrow at him.

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were under a spell," Rey said, staring deeply into his eyes. "How long has this been going on?" she asked. When he didn't answer, the Jedi got closer to him and placed both hands on either side of his face. His eyes fluttered shut, comforted by the contact.

"Have you been taking this crap everyday?" Rey asked, getting irritated with the First Knight. This was the closest they had been since Starkiller and the Jedi was scolding him like he was an old friend, with a drug problem.

"You...you're here," Kylo said, slowly making sense that she was talking to him. "I've been ordered to capture you." The large man slumped forward, curling his back and leaning his forehead into Rey's shoulder. She sensed that he was at ease, resting like this.

"Kylo. Don't you realize what the First Order is trying to do? They have you under an enchantment or some sort of mind control. I'm not even sure how to describe it or how this might be possible." Rey used the Force to call the empty cannister to her hand, as Kylo's weight was starting to be too much on her smaller frame.

"Are — are you really here? Or is this an impossible dream?" Kylo asked.

Rey sighed and let him down gently. As he laid out on the cold floor, she felt herself being pulled from the shared vision. There was a warm hand on her shoulder and it tugged the Jedi reluctantly away from the scene. The vial fell from her fingertips, dropping onto the cold floor.

Looking down at her shoulder, Rey recognized the hand. She raced past thousands of stars and returned to Ahch-To. With a startle, she leapt forward and gasped for air.

Luke Skywalker caught his apprentice and eased her back to the ground. He wrapped his cloak around her, noticing she was shivering. The sun had disappeared on Ahch-To and Rey was clearly lost in a deep trance.

"I saw Kylo Ren," she admitted. After weeks of fruitless visions, there was finally something to tell Luke. "He's been talking to the mask of Darth Vader...and the mask sort of talks back to him."

"What?" was all Luke could muster in response. Kylo Ren was his least favorite subject and now the Jedi Master was starting to pace.

"In our shared visions," Rey said, standing up to meet him, "Kylo Ren talks to the helmet of Darth Vader. A voice speaks back to him, but I know it isn't Darth Vader. It's a loudspeaker above his quarters."

"Rey...there was nothing left of Darth Vader. I executed my father's funeral pyre. There was no mask to recover. I watched over him, until there was nothing but ash," Luke said, squinting at his pupil.

"Did Ben Solo ever learn that?" she asked hesitantly. "Because right now he is under the influence of a twisted illusion. Someone has convinced him that he's talking to the ghost of Darth Vader. And Kylo's mask is rigged to periodically disperse an inhalant that makes him open to suggestion."

"Rey, that is quite the stretch," Luke said, crossing his arms. "In fact, I've only ever heard of one ancient plant that could be used to manipulate a Force sensitive that way. The Chimera plant hasn't been seen in a thousand years."

"Is the Chimera plant...purple?" Rey asked, watching Luke's face fall. His expression said it all.

"If this has been going on for years…" her voice trailed off. She suspected it was the case, judging from the way he swapped out the cylinders of purple gas.

"No," Luke replied sharply. "I know what you are thinking and no. Kylo Ren is responsible for his own actions. His sins will not be absolved, just because you think he's under some sort of enchantment."

"If we got him away from that mask long enough, locked him away for weeks," Rey said, chasing her Master down the mountain.

"It won't change anything," Luke said angrily. He stopped toward the bottom and turned to face his pupil.

Rey fell very quiet and waited. Finally she cleared her throat, "We have to try, don't we? If there is a chance to save your nephew, how can we ignore it?"

The Jedi Master turned and looked at his apprentice. They stared at each other for a long time, as the wind picked up and swept across the island.

**Author's Note:**

> This was unbeta'd - so there is no one to blame but myself. 
> 
> I hope you liked it - its just may take on the word "Enchant," and applying it to Reylo. 
> 
> I have plenty of Reylo stories to write, but I thought I would share this one. Let me know what you think. If anything, I hope that made you consider the possibility that Ben Solo is indeed, still in there.


End file.
